Bean-harvester.



F. L. DUNKLEBERGER.

BEAN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED 19313.27, 1914.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WM ewe 0 THE NORRIS PETERS Co. PHOTOVLITHON WASHING roN. 0 c

F. L. DUNKLEBERGER.

BEAN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.27,1914.

1,130,074. Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 HUM lllm

Wit mmzo THE NORRIS PETERS c0 PHO'H) LITHL' \VAr-HINQFON D c UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK I1. DUNKLEBERiGER, OF WEST SHELBY, NEW YORK.

IBEAN-I-IARVESTEB.

Application filed February 27, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. DUNKLE- BERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVest Shelby, in the county of Orleans and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bean-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a machine for harvesting beans.

Another object of this invention is to provide amachine that will harvest the beans by lifting the pods or the pods and vines, cutting ofl the vines below the pods without cutting the pods.

These and other objects of my invention will be fully illustrated in the drawings, described in the specificationand pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 4.- is a sectional elevation on the lines 1 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows a modification of the machine in which the rollers are adapted to pull the vines out instead of merely lifting them up from the cutters.

In the accompanying drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates the frame of the machine in which is mounted a power axle 2 on the ends of which are the wheels 3 and 4. On this axle is a sprocket wheel 5 over which travels 'a chain 6 which engages with a sprocket wheel 7 on the counter shaft 8. On the counter shaft 8 are mounted the beveled gears 9, 10, 11 and 12. On the end of the machine under the shaft 8 are mounted the vertical shafts 13, 14, 15 and 16. On the top each of these shafts is provided with the beveled gears 17, 18, 19 and 20 meshing with the beveled gears 9, 10, 11 and 12. On the lower ends of the vertical shaft 17, 18, 19 and 20 are the beveled gears 21, 22, 23 and 24 which mesh with the beveled gears 25, 26, 27 and 28 which gears are carried on the ends of the revolving brushes 29, 30, 31 and 32. The brushes may be built up either of wood or metal cores provided with several spiral rows of bristles which are preferably of wire.

Shafts 33, 34:, 35 and 36 run through the brushes and engage with suitable bearings at the front and back of the frame. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Mar. 2, 1915.

Serial No. 821,511.

beveled pinions 25, 26, 27 and 28 are keyed to these shafts and through them drive the brushes. 7

The various parts of the mechanism heretofore described are so related that when the machine moves forward in the direction of the arrow shown in the middle of Fig. 1, the brushes of each pair will revolve away from each other at the top and toward each other at the bottom. It will also be seen that in Fig. 1, two pairs of brushes are shown.

It will be understood that beans are planted in rows spaced about thirty inches be tween centers and that the plants or vines on which the beans grow will ordinarily grow to a height of twelve or fifteen inches. This machine is adapted to embrace a row of bean plants between each pair of brushes and the pairs of rollers are spaced between centers the difference in distance between centers of the plants as they ordinarily grow in the field. In this way, as the machine moves forward, the brushes will revolve in the manner heretofore described and will engage the leaves and pods of the plants and lift them up. The rollers are spaced wide apart at the front and converge toward the rear. The rollers at the front will gather in their embrace the outermost leaves and pods of the plant and as the rollers converge on the plant, practically all of the outer and low hanging-leaves and pods of the plant will be embraced and lifted, putting the vines in the best condition for the cutting operation which then take place.- The mechanism by which this cutting operation is performed will be described as follows: On the power shaft 2 is mounted the beveled gear 37. Mounted in the frame of the machine is a jack-shaft 38 carrying a beveled gear 39 at its forward end which gear meshes with the gear 37. On the rear end of the shaft 38 is a sprocket wheel 40 which drives the sprocket chain 11 which chain meshes with a sprocket wheel 42 on a shaft 43. On the sprocket wheel 42 is a crank pin 14 which engages with the pitman 45 which is pivotally connected to the cutter bar 16. This bar reciprocates between two stationary bars 47 and 18. Outting teeth are provided on the stationary bars 17 and 4:8 and on the moving bar 16 which cooperate with each other to sever the vines after the brushes have acted on cut, I provide a belt 50 mounted on therollei's 51 and 52, the roller 52 having on the forward end of it,the pinion 53 which meshes with the pinion 54 carried on the V shaft 43-so that on'tlie rotation of the shaft a3, the'roller 52 will be driven andwill travel in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, causing thecutvines to be deposited in a single row at-the left hand end of the machirie; The outer ends of the rollers 51'and,

52-aresupported by the brackets 55 shown in Fig. 4. '7

In Fig,

and 59 are shown arranged in pairs which rollers are preferably solid or knurled and converge sufliciently so as to grip the vines at the rear end andpull them out of the 7 ground after having first lifted the pods and leaves at the forward ends of the rollers. In a. machine of this type, the cutting bars may. be dispensed with and the vines will be merely pulled from the ground. I r

' The rows of brushes on the rollers 29', 30, 31 and 32 will have such a pitch and will be rotated at such a speed that they will tend to push the tops of the vines rearwardly as well as raise them. This will facilitate the cutting operation and also tend to throw them on the belt after they are cut.

I claim: I i' Y 1.; In a bean harvesting machine the combination of means to lift the vines and pods without pulling out the roots and'bend the vines rearwardly, and means to cut off the vines below the pods. p

2. Ina bean harvestingrmachine the combination of means to lift the'vines and pods without pulling out the'roots'and bend the vines rearwardly, means to 'cut 01f the vines below the pods, and'a conveyer to carry the V wardly.

5 I have shown a modification of mymachine in which the-rollers56, 57, 58

vines transversely of the machine and deposit them atone side of the machine. 3. In a bean harvesting machine the combination of a frame, revolving brushes arranged in pairs on said frame, said brushes converging toward each other from the ,frontto therear, cutters operating between and belowsaid brushes at the rear'thereof.

rows, means for rotatingsaid'brushes at such a speed relative to the forward movevment of the" machine so .as to cause the brushes to lift the vines and bend them rean In a bean harvesting machine,- the com bination" of a frame revolving brushes ar- "ranged in pairs'on said frame, said brushes having'long flexible bristles thereonfsaid brushes rotating tofmove the bristles-upward in the space between each pair of "rollers, said brushes converging toward each' other from the front to the rear,;" cutters operating below the opening between said brushes at the rear ofsaiol brushes.

6. In a bean harvesting machine,the combination of a frame, revolvingbriishes arranged in'pairs on said frame, said brushes having long flexible bristles thereon, said'i brushes rotating to move the bristles upward in the space between each pair of rollrows, means for rotating said brushes at such a speed relative to theiforwardfmovement of the 'IHZIClllIlO so as; to cause the brushes to lift the vines andbflnd rear-'1 I r n t stimony whereof Iiim Signature I wardly, w

in presence of two witnesses.

IVitnesses FRANirnDUNKL sEReER.

EDNAK. Booi n, V V Anioii'M. JOHANNS.

com: of this patent may be obtained far in cuts oath, by addressing the chmmissioneriet'iratents,

" 9 Washinflton, D. 0." Q I K 

